Yelle

Yelle is a French electronic and electropop act associated with singer Julie Budet, who uses Yelle as a stage name. The project forms in Saint-Brieuc, France in 2005 and is built around Budet with Jean-François Perrier, known as GrandMarnier; Tanguy Destable, known as Tepr, joins before the debut album. The act is also linked with the names of its members and collaborators through a series of recordings, remixes and live work.

Early attention and first releases

Budet first draws wider attention through MySpace after posting a track called “Short Dick Cuizi”, a song aimed at Cuizinier of the Parisian hip-hop group TTC. With GrandMarnier, she then records the debut album Pop-Up. The track “Je veux te voir” becomes a key single from this period and is presented as a finished version of “Short Dick Cuizi”. It samples the bassline from 20 Fingers’ 1994 club hit “Short Dick Man” and receives heavy play on MTV.

Collaborations and media exposure

Yelle appears as a featured artist on Fatal Bazooka’s “Parle à ma main” in 2007. In February 2008, Budet performs “À cause des Garçons” on the BBC Three series Lily Allen and Friends; the programme describes it as her first appearance on UK television. She is also MTV’s Artist of the Week for the week of 24–30 March 2008 and appears during advertising breaks.

Singles, remixes and uses

Yelle’s second single, “A cause des garçons/ACDG”, is a cover of a French band from the 1980s. Riot in Belgium remixes the track, and that version appears on the soundtrack to Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed: ProStreet. The song is also used as the opening track for Moschino’s Spring Summer 2008 runway show, appears in an advert for Telus in Quebec, and is heard in a 24 March episode of The Hills. Another Yelle single, “Je veux te voir”, appears in the final episode of series four of Entourage, in the opening scene set in Cannes. “Ce jeu” is played on the shop soundtracks of Gap and H&M in summer 2008.

Tepr and touring

Tepr tours with the act and remixes three Yelle tracks: “A cause des garçons/ACDG”, “Je veux te Voir/Short Dick Cuizi” and “Ce Jeu”.